Aruna Sairam

Born on 30 June 1952 in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, Shrimati Aruna Sairam was groomed in Carnatic music by several
eminent musicians. They include T. Brinda, who taught her Padams, Javalis, and compositions of the Carnatic
Trinity: S. Ramachandran who taught her nereval singing; A.S. Mani who taught her sol-fa improvisation; T.R.
Subramanyam who taught her improvisation in the ragam-tanam-pallavi; K.S. Narayanaswamy who taught her the
use of gamakas; and S.R.D. Vaidyanathan who taught her mallari singing. She was instructed in voice control by
Eugene Rabine and was guided overall in her work by Balamurali Krishna. The Dhanammal school represented by T.
Brinda is the principal influence in her music.
Shrimati Sairam is acknowledged as a leading Carnatic vocalist of our time. Her contribution to the contemporary
practice of Carnatic music lies in propagating compositions of the eighteenth-century master Uttukadu Venkata
Kavi; verses of the ancient Tiruppugazh, Thevaram , and Thiruvachakam; and the work of medieval composers such as
Gopalakrishna Bharathi and Arunachala Kavi. Shrimati Sairam has also introduced Abhangs to Lord Vitthala in her
concerts and won popular acclaim. Outside of classical music, she has composed and performed in dance
productions of the choreographers Chandralekha and Malavika Sarukkai, and presented theme concerts with
musicians in India and abroad. She has performed at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, New York's
Carnegie Hall, and the Theatre de la vile in Paris besides locations all over India. She has also conducted workshops
at universities and conservatories in Europe and the United States, focused on introducing Carnatic music to
Western audiences. She has authored a book on voice culture and issued a number of recordings of her music. She is
Founder-President of the Nadayogam Trust, an organization for the promotion of Carnatic music.
Shrimati Sairam has been honoured for her work with the Kalaimamani bestowed by the Government of Tamil
Nadu (2006), and the Padma Shri (2009) .
Shrimati Aruna Sairam receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contribution to Carnatic music.